Temple Football Player Facing Assault Charges Out Until Further Notice

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Temple defensive tackle Kamal Johnson will not practice or play with the Owls after he was arraigned on charges stemming from an alleged assault Sept. 27 on his girlfriend, also a student at the university.

Temple made the decision Monday. Temple says it will revisit Johnson’s status when “charges are resolved or if circumstances otherwise change.”

Police spokeswoman Tanya Little said the 20-year-old junior was arraigned Saturday on charges including kidnapping, false imprisonment, simple assault, and endangering the welfare of another person. Bail was set at $25,000.

The 21-year-old girlfriend told police Thursday that she and Johnson had an argument on the phone, that about 11:50 p.m. he forced his way into her apartment near campus, dragged her into the hallway and forced her down the stairs to his apartment. Little did not know if his apartment was in the same building.

The girlfriend told police Johnson accused her of cheating on him, punched her in the back and threw her to the floor where she hit her head. She said he forced her to sit in a chair for more than three hours and refused to let her leave, police said in an emailed statement.

She told police he let her leave about 3:50 a.m. Sept. 28. She had scratches and bruises and a contusion on her head, which she said caused her to be dizzy and her vision to blur, police said.

Little said the girlfriend told police she and Johnson have been in a relationship three years.

Johnson turned himself in to police Friday. A preliminary hearing was scheduled for Oct. 23.

At a postgame news conference Saturday, Temple coach Steve Addazio had no comment on Johnson’s arrest or his status with the team after a 37-28 win against South Florida.